Taking Wing - Michael A. Martin [25]
“Commander Troi.”
He blinked several times, his forehead corrugating slightly in puzzlement. “Deanna has been hoping for weeks now that you’d change your mind and join us. She never mentioned any problems between the two of you.”
“Please don’t misunderstand me,” Vale said, holding up a hand. “I don’t have any problem at all with Counselor Troi. My problem is with your relationship with her.”
“You mean the fact that she and I are a married couple? I’m afraid the time to object to that was just before that first wedding ceremony back in Alaska. We’re well past the ‘forever hold your peace’ period.”
Ack! she thought. Not what I meant!
She moved her right hand in a quick wiping gesture, as though erasing an old-style blackboard in front of her, and did her best not to grimace. After pausing for a moment to compose herself, she said, “Deanna is more than simply Titan’s senior counselor. According to the tentative crew roster you sent me, she’s also the ship’s diplomatic officer. That’s an extremely important post aboard a ship whose main purpose is exploration, don’t you think?”
His puzzled frown appeared to be heading rapidly toward scowl territory. “And I can’t think of anyone better suited for it.”
“Me neither. Trust me, Captain—Will—I’m not second-guessing your judgment in assigning her that job.”
Now it was Riker’s turn to stand. Towering over her, he was beginning to look truly irritated. “It seems to me that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
Nettled, Vale decided to stop trying to sugar-coat what really needed to be said here. She rose as she spoke, never breaking eye contact with him. He still towered over her, but she didn’t so much as flinch.
“No, sir. I simply don’t feel comfortable serving under a captain who has made his own wife such a critical part of his senior staff. If you’ll forgive me for saying so, I don’t think it’s a wise arrangement for you to have made.”
Riker’s brow slackened as he lapsed into a thoughtful silence, evidently mulling over her words with great care. At length, he said, “You know, you’re right. I can’t escape the reality that a captain employing his wife as a senior adviser defies most conventional command wisdom. As a matter of fact, Admiral Akaar just spoke to me about it.”
Her eyes widened at the mention of Akaar’s name. The regal Capellan numbered among the highest ranking admirals in Starfleet, and was also one of the oldest.
“And what did you say to him?” she said.
Riker’s benign smile returned. “The same thing I’m about to tell you. That it’s all about discipline and faith. It’s about my ability to keep my family life separate from my professional career. It’s about my having the discipline to make tough decisions without allowing family considerations to cloud my judgment. And it’s about the faith of the people around me that I won’t waver in maintaining that self-imposed discipline. I’m confident I can supply the discipline. Hell, I wouldn’t have had much of a career in Starfleet without that.
“But I need you to supply a lot of the faith. As well as the courage to be completely honest with me whenever you’re having doubts. Just like you’re doing right now.”
Vale let his words hang in the air, and found herself marveling at his easy gift for oratory. Had he always had that ability? She’d never noticed it before. She wondered how it was that the addition of that fourth pip always seemed to enable a command officer to deliver such stirring speeches.
“Did you really say all that to Akaar?” she said once she had collected her thoughts.
He chuckled. “Of course not. I wish I had. So I rehearsed that little speech all the way from Mars to here. Not that I really expected it to convince you.”
“What did you expect?”
“That I’d at least reassure you that I’ve already made an effort to understand your misgivings. And that I sincerely believe this will be a nonproblem. The fact that Commander Troi and I are married will not affect my command judgment. Especially if you’re sitting at my right on Titan’s bridge, keeping me honest.”
She nodded mutely, impressed by